Digital Future is at the Top of the Agenda Both Domestically and Internationally

18 october 2017

"Considerate, correct, friendly attitude toward the digital future, which is already here, is a high mission for the government," said First deputy of the Central Office of the Government of the Russian Federation Maxim Akimov at the Open Innovations Forum. "The new is being born before our eyes. We should welcome it, saying hello, and be very careful with any regulatory actions which may ruin the new."

More and more countries view digitalization as a necessary factor of
economic growth, competitiveness and better quality of life for population.
"The topic of our discussion is at the top of the international
agenda," said Mr. Akimov when opening the Session entitled "Digital Ministers.
The Evangelists of the Government's Technology Agenda." "The government as
power management system has always undergone transformations, but never has it
changed so dramatically as today. The government is becoming proactive;
the government-citizen interaction model is changing."

Mr. Akimov believes that the biggest challenge for digital transformation is
to create regulatory sandboxes, legal boxes. According to him, we are still not
ready to fit our digital future within a legal frame. Governments, experts and
business need to join their efforts, which is the most interesting part of the
work. The international exchange of practices is important, too: extensive
integration of the Russian Federation into the international agenda will also
open up broad horizons to the government's regulatory role and, naturally, to
businesses.

In Mr. Akimov's opinion, what matters is to increase digital literacy, build
quality digital infrastructure and improve IT security.

Participants in the discussion entitled "Digital Ministers. The Evangelists
of the Government's Technology Agenda" included the representatives of various
government and supranational authorities. Speakers addressed topics such as
government initiatives, the introduction of digital solutions to the business
sector, digital infrastructure building and the removal of barriers. Minister
of Communications and Mass Media Nikolai Nikiforov spoke about the objectives
and progress of digital transformation in the Russian Federation.